Beginning a sentence with "but" or "and?" Forum

[honestabe84]

Beginning in grade school I was always told never to begin a sentence with the words "but" or "and". However, I have noticed that in many books and scholarly journals, authors will go ahead and use either of these words to begin a sentence. Can I begin a sentence using "and" or "but" in my personal statement, optional essays, locis, etc? I obviously would only use it very sparingly. I just have an area in my PS that I would like to begin a sentence with one of these words in order to improve the flow.

[20121109]

Beginning in grade school I was always told never to begin a sentence with the words "but" or "and". However, I have noticed that in many books and scholarly journals, authors will go ahead and use either of these words to begin a sentence. Can I begin a sentence using "and" or "but" in my personal statement, optional essays, locis, etc? I obviously would only use it very sparingly. I just have an area in my PS that I would like to begin a sentence with one of these words in order to improve the flow.

Time to graduate from grade school, honey.

Yes you can use 'em.

<3

[JTX]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/books/re ... cle1513448

Fowler was no friend of pedants. He said it was fine to use a split infinitive, or to end sentences with a preposition, or to begin sentences with “but.”

edit: add quote

[honestabe84]

Beginning in grade school I was always told never to begin a sentence with the words "but" or "and". However, I have noticed that in many books and scholarly journals, authors will go ahead and use either of these words to begin a sentence. Can I begin a sentence using "and" or "but" in my personal statement, optional essays, locis, etc? I obviously would only use it very sparingly. I just have an area in my PS that I would like to begin a sentence with one of these words in order to improve the flow.

Time to graduate from grade school, honey.

Yes you can use 'em.

<3

The reason I asked is because some writers consider it bad form. And they've obviously graduated grade school.

[JTX]

Beginning in grade school I was always told never to begin a sentence with the words "but" or "and". However, I have noticed that in many books and scholarly journals, authors will go ahead and use either of these words to begin a sentence. Can I begin a sentence using "and" or "but" in my personal statement, optional essays, locis, etc? I obviously would only use it very sparingly. I just have an area in my PS that I would like to begin a sentence with one of these words in order to improve the flow.

Time to graduate from grade school, honey.

Yes you can use 'em.

<3

The reason I asked is because some writers consider it bad form. And they've obviously graduated grade school.

Some writers are pricks. But some writers consider it a style choice.

[whitman]

Once you can write well you can do whatever the fuck you want. A good writer has the confidence to break grade school rules.

[kswiss]

I think there is a legitimate concern because I find myself second guessing myself every time I do it. But sometimes there is no clearer way to say something.

If some adcomm is going to take offense to breaking a grade school rule, then....then....

I dunno.

[JTX]

I think there is a legitimate concern because I find myself second guessing myself every time I do it. But sometimes there is no clearer way to say something.

If some adcomm is going to take offense to breaking a grade school rule, then....then....

I dunno.

lulz. intentional irony?

[Panther7]

I think there is a legitimate concern because I find myself second guessing myself every time I do it. But sometimes there is no clearer way to say something.

If some adcomm is going to take offense to breaking a grade school rule, then....then....

I dunno.

lulz. intentional irony?

Intentional I would guess. And done very well, I might add.

[FunkyJD]

It's kosher in Chicago Style. Good enough for me.

[Jacktone]

+1 to ignoring overly simplistic writing rules from grade school. You can feel free not only to (sparingly) start sentences with "but" or "and" but also to use "between" for more than two things, to end your sentences with prepositions, and to write an essay that's longer than 5 paragraphs

[umichgrad]

But for the pedantic style of grade-school teaching, good writers would not feel obligated to be hemmed in by some outdated suggestion. And that's not to mention the sillyness of encouraging any writer to adhere to somebody else's vapid 5-paragraph structure or 19th century grammatical concerns. However, if you're going to do any of these things (especially using split infinitives), please ensure that your usage increases the clarity of your writing.

[BLi]

+1

it's all about clarity of your intentions.

[Threepeat]

But for the pedantic style of grade-school teaching, good writers would not feel obligated to be hemmed in by some outdated suggestion. And that's not to mention the sillyness of encouraging any writer to adhere to somebody else's vapid 5-paragraph structure or 19th century grammatical concerns. However, if you're going to do any of these things (especially using split infinitives), please ensure that your usage increases the clarity of your writing.

I find it hard to believe an adcomm would dock you for using 'but' or 'and' to begin a sentence, so long as it flows with the paper. Adcomms are not grade school teachers.

[umichgrad]

But for the pedantic style of grade-school teaching, good writers would not feel obligated to be hemmed in by some outdated suggestion. And that's not to mention the sillyness of encouraging any writer to adhere to somebody else's vapid 5-paragraph structure or 19th century grammatical concerns. However, if you're going to do any of these things (especially using split infinitives), please ensure that your usage increases the clarity of your writing.

I find it hard to believe an adcomm would dock you for using 'but' or 'and' to begin a sentence, so long as it flows with the paper. Adcomms are not grade school teachers.

exactly, hence the usage.

[PoliticalJunkie]

It's bad English and bad grammar for non-legal publishing.

[FunkyJD]

It's bad English and bad grammar for non-legal publishing.

Do you consider Chicago Style to be bad English?

[umichgrad]

It's bad English and bad grammar for non-legal publishing.

Wrong, sorry.

[Threepeat]

It's bad English and bad grammar for non-legal publishing.

Wrong, sorry.

Plus 1 to the "Wrong Sorry".

[SôngHươngNúiNgự]

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[umichgrad]

But for the pedantic style of grade-school teaching, good writers would not feel obligated to be hemmed in by some outdated suggestion. And that's not to mention the sillyness of encouraging any writer to adhere to somebody else's vapid 5-paragraph structure or 19th century grammatical concerns. However, if you're going to do any of these things (especially using split infinitives), please ensure that your usage increases the clarity of your writing.

Good writers are not hemmed in by outdated suggestions. Adhering to vapid five-paragraph structures or 19th century grammatical concerns is silly; however, if you do any of this, ensure clarity in your writing.

Starting with "And" and "But" were totally unnecessary in this statement, and contributed to wordiness.

When you changed it, you changed the meaning. My sentence claims that BUT FOR this type of teaching, etc. Your sentence leaves that out and switches from subjunctive to present-active. You're correct that I could have been more succinct, but the but is completely allowable in this sentence. OP didn't ask if it's necessary to use them; rather, if there is ever a circumstance when it might be permissible. The answer is yes.

[WhiskeyGuy]

The editorial pages of the NYT and WSJ consistently start sentences with "and" and "but." Like lawyers, these editors need to convey lots in a short amount of space, and they use these two indicator words accomplish it.

The Editor of Black's Law Dictionary says:

"In law, many things converge to create overlong sentences. [One] is the nonsense baggage that so many writers lug around: the idea that it is poor grammar to begin a sentence with And or But."

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[umichgrad]

The Editor of Black's Law Dictionary says:

"In law, many things converge to create overlong sentences. [One] is the nonsense baggage that so many writers lug around: the idea that it is poor grammar to begin a sentence with And or But."

Permissible? Sure. Contractions are permissible as well, that doesn't mean OP should use them.
Style guides from law dictionaries are fine, except a personal statement isn't legal writing.

Do you have any sort of background that would allow you to make these sort of conclusions? Being an English teacher, for example?

[SôngHươngNúiNgự]

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